Whilst carrying out an end-of-tenancy check is second nature to most landlords across the country, one got a six-week-old surprise in London last week after they found an abandoned kitten left all alone in their garden.

Tiny Bubbles had seemingly been left behind by the previous tenants, although it is impossible to know why, or whether they owned any other pets such as the mother. Luckily, the landlord went over to the property shortly after the tenants had moved out, so young Bubbles hadn’t yet come to any harm. In fact, he seemed happy enough out in the garden, where the landlord found him climbing over the patio furniture!

Being unsure whether the kitten had indeed been abandoned there or was a stray who had found his way into the garden, the landlord called us and spoke to one of our Animal Welfare Officers. Tania Mazzoni went straight out to investigate, and eventually managed to trap Bubbles in order to bring him back to Mayhew for a check up.

Thankfully, our health check revealed that Bubbles seemed to be as healthy as he was happy, and so we microchipped him before moving him in with one of our expert foster carers, who will be able to look after him until he is old enough to be neutered and rehomed.

We can’t know the circumstances of how Bubbles came to find himself alone in the garden, and whilst we would always advocate that someone call us for help if they are struggling to care for an animal, we understand that in difficult times such as these many people and their pets will be facing crises and hardships.

Similarly, if you are tempted to get a new pet to provide additional comfort and company, or because you are finding yourself with more time on your hands right now, please do extensive research into the animal you are interested in and make sure you are fully equipped to care for them and meet their five welfare needs for years to come – not just until the pandemic is over.

The five welfare needs of every animal are:

1. The need for a suitable environment for the animal to live in.
2. The need for a suitable diet.
3. The need to exhibit normal behavioural patterns for their species and breed.
4. The need to be housed either with or apart from other animals, as per the requirements of their species and breed.
5. The need to be protected from pain, suffering and disease.

We also advocate that all cats and dogs are neutered, in order to prevent unwanted pregnancies and reduce the number of animals coming into rescue centres and shelters.

To see which animals are currently available for adoption, please take a look at our Adoption pages, and stay tuned for updates on Bubbles!